Direct-draft road and ditching machine



(No Model.)

' H. O. MOORE.

DIRECT DRAFT ROAD AND DITGHING MACHINE. No. 365,846. PatentedJuly 5, 1887.

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N. PETERS. PhnlvLilhuy-apher. wmm mn. DV 0 UNITED STATES PATENT -Orrrcn.

HENRY O, MOORE, 'OF TAMA CITY, IOWA.

DIRECT-DRAFT ROAD AND DlTCHlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365.846, dated July 5, 1887 Application filed March 12,188'7. Serial No. 230,634. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY C. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tama City, in the county of Tama and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direct-Draft Road and Ditching Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction and combination of certain parts to be applied to the reversible road and ditching machine for which I made applicatian for Letters Patent July 6, 1886, Serial No. 207 ,251.

One object of mypresent invention is to provide improved means whereby the scraper of a road or ditching machine may be conveniently and positively adjusted and reversed, and which is operated by mechanism situated in front of the scraper on the central line of the frame at or in the rear of the front axletree.

A further object of my present invention is to provide improved controlling mechanism in connect-ion with the draft beams and chain of a scraper, whereby the twisting strain of the beams upon the scraper, when adjusted at an acute angle to the frame, is resisted.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same letters of reference indicate the same parts, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of my improved reversing and adjusting mechanism mounted in connection with the draft beams and chain of a scraper, together with the strain-resisting mechanism. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the adjusting and reversing mechanism entire. Fig. 3 isafront elevation of the strain-resisting mechanism; and Fig. 4 is an end view of a cross-piece on the frame of the machine proper, with the adj usting-lever mounted thereon.

A indicates the front bolster of the vehicle of a road or ditching machine, said bolster being mounted upon and secured to the axle tree A in any suitable manner. On the central top portion of the bolster A a metallic circular plate or fifth-wheel, a, is secured by means of suitable bolts.

To the under side of the frame A of the machine proper another fifthwhee], a, is secured above the other fifth-wheel, a, said fifth-wheels operating as and-for a purpose well understood. On the lower fifth-wheel, a, a dished guard-plate, a", is mounted, having its outer edge flared upwardly. On the top portion of said guard-plate a a collar, a is mounted, which is keyed to the king-bolt orshaft B, and acts to support and elevate a sprocket-wheel, O, mounted on top thereof, in close proximity tothe upper fifthwheel, a. The shaft or kingbolt B passes down centrally through the fifthwheels at and a, and through the sprocketwheel 0 and collar (0*, and is secured below the axle-tree A by a cross-bolt, b. The said shaft or king-bolt B extends above and passes through a cross-piece of the frame A of the machine, and has a hand-wheel, I), mounted on the upper end thereof, in position to be actuated by the. operation.

On the top portion of the frame A a springplate, D, is mounted, and secured by abolt, d. This spring-plate extends inwardly and up wardly from its point of attachment to such a distance as to give it sufficient resiliency of action relative to the locking-bolt, cl, which passes down through a hole in the frame A, and is adapted to enter holes dflformed in the sprocketwheel O. This locking-bolt d is connected to the under side of the spring D by a hook passing through an eye formed integral with thetop portion of the said bolt. One end of a foot-lever, D, is secured to the spring D immediately over the bolt d, and rests on a fulcrum-block, (Z secured .to the top of the cross-piece of the frame A said lever inclining up from the said frame to a point convenient to the driver. A sprocket-chain, E, is connected at its ends to the draft-bars F E of the scraper, and passes around the sprocketwheel 0, and is prevented from becoming disengaged from said wheel by the dished guardplate (L The flared or dished edge of said guard-plate only extends upward to a distance that will not interfere with the operation of the chain E, and at the same time it provides for the positive and continuous engagementof roo curate alignment of the locking-bolt cl and the holes (I in said sprocket-wheel, alipped or E-shaped plate, 0, is bolted to the upper side of said upper fifth-wheel and extended down and beneath the said sprocket-wheel, its vertical and lower portion being arranged at a sufficient distance from the sprocketwheel to not interfere with its movement. V

To change the angle of the scraper or to reverse the same, the operator presses down upon the foot-lever D, resting upon its fulcrum d and thus withdraws the bolt d from engagement with the hole d in the sprocketwheel in which it had been engaged. The hand-wheel b on the shaft B is then turned until the desired angle or reversal of the scraper is attained, when the foot-lever D is released and the bolt d passes into engagement with the then opposite liole,d,in the sprocketwheel 0, and thus the position or angle of the scraper is fixed. It will be observed. that the bolt (2 is always in, position for locking the sprocket-wheel, as it .is never entirely withdrawn from the aperture in the frame A, through which it passes.

When the scraper is at work in an angular position with respect to the frame, the draftbar at the delivery end thereof imparts a twisting strain thereto, owing to the acuteness of its position with respect to the line of draft. To resist this twisting strain, a pair of toothed guy-braces, G G, are placed on a plate, G, of channelsteel, which, by its flanges g 9, holds said guy-braces in connection with the small sprocket-wheel 9, arranged between them and secured at its centerto the vertical shaft G at its lower end. This shaft is suspended by the chain 9 from alever, 9 mounted above on the frame of the machine. The toothed guy-braces are held between the flanges g g of the plate G and in connection with the sprocket-wheel g by the straps g attached to the flanges of said plate. The shaft G at its upper end is provided with an operating-lever, G The horizontal position of these braces is controlled by bars 9 g, rigidly attached to and depending from the frame, above and between which they move vertically.

On the outer ends of the guy-braces G G are formed hooks or keepers 9, through which the chain E and the draft-bars F have movement as the position of the scraper is changed. These keepers g are constructedin the form shown, so as to project up and partially over the sprocket-chain and draft-bars and partiallysurround the under portions of the same. The toothed guy-braces G G are extended out from or drawn in toward the plate G by means of the sprocket-wheel, the vertical shaft, and the operating-lever when it is dev sired to adjust the parts with which they eng In order to prevent the two guy-braces from moving inward toward each other orout of a direct line, two oval-shaped guides, g g, are

secured to and at each end of the plate Gand between said guy-braces. Said guides are constructed of such dimensions as will afford free play of theguy braces, but at the-same time will keep them in meshing engagement with the sprocket-wheel g.

The guy-braces G G, the flanged plate G, the vertical shaft G and the operating-lever G are suspended from the frame of the machine by a chain, 9, attached to a sw1vel-eye, g, at the upper end of the said vertlcal shaft.

It is obvious that minor changes in the construction andarrangementof the parts might be made in lieu of those shown and described without departing from the nature or pr nciple of my invention-as, for instance, 1n lleu of the sprocket-wheel shown and described it is obvious that a plain-surfaced or other form of wheel or circle that is capable of being oscillated and of carrying with a chain or draftbeams pivoted to said wheel or circle may be employed in lieu of said sprocket-wheel,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is l. In a road and ditching machine employing a reversible and adjustable scraper, and provided with a suitable frame, the combination of the draft-bars to which the scraper is connected, a sprocket-wheel arranged at the bottom of the front part of the frame in front of the scraper, and intermediate connections with said wheel and scraper for changing the position of the latter, substantially as de scribed.

2. The combination, in a road and ditching machine employing a reversible scraper and having a suitable frame, of a sprocket-wheel located beneath the frame, the hand-operated king or shaft bolt secured above said wheel, the sprocket-chain, and the draft-bars to which the scraper is attached, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a road and ditching machine employing a reversible scraper, a suitable frame and running-gear, of a sprocket-wheel situated between said running-gear and frame, aking-bolt orshaft passing through said running-gear and wheel, a bolt for securing said sprocket-wheel in a fixed position, and alever for operating said bolt, substantially as described.

4. The combination,-in a road and ditching machine employing a reversible scraper and a suitable frame, of a sprocket-wheel provided with and mounted upon the forward part of said frame, a vertical operating-shaft passing through and keyed to said wheel, a bolt for fitting in said holes, and a spring and treadle lever, each secured at one end to said bolt for engaging and disengaging the same with and from the holes in the sprocketwheel, substantially as described.

ICO

IIO

5. The combination, in a road and ditching machine employing a-scraper and having a suitable frame, of devices for connecting and operating said scraper, and the suspended adjnstable guy braces for resisting twisting strain upon the scraper, substantially as described. V

6. The combination, in a road and ditching 5 machine employing a scraper and having a suitable frame, of the draft-bars, the sprocket-chain, the sprocket-wheel, the toothed guybraees, the flanged plate, the sprocket-wheel meshing with the teeth of said guy-braces, to the vertical shaft having the o )erating-lever, and the suspending-chain, substantially as described.

7. The c'ombinati0n,ina road and ditching machine employing a scraper and having a I 5 suitable frame, of the draft-bars, the draft or sprocket chain, and the sprocket wheel around which said chain passes, with the flanged plate, the toothed guy-braces fitting therein and provided at their outer ends with keepers, the small sprocket-wheel meshing 20 with the teeth of said guy-braces, the vertical. shaft, the operating-lever attached thereto, and suspending chain, substantially as described. p

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein 25 presence of two witnesses.

HENRY G. MOORE.

Witnesses:

' CHARLES S. HYER,

L. SEWARD BACON. 

